Scoop: The Inside Dope on Steve Jobs’ Weird Keynote
5:57 pm, January 11th, 2006,
There was something strange about Steve Jobs’ Macworld keynote on Tuesday. The pacing was off.
It started off high energy with reports of unbelievable iPod sales and record revenues, which got the crowd whooping. Then it went into a doldrums with an interminable demo of new features in iLife, which had everyone dying for the One More Thing… “Come on Steve,” we’re all thinking. “Cut the crap and get to the good stuff.”
So tonight I’m sitting in a bar when I run into an old friend, who is very highly placed in the Apple world. I hate to cite an anonymous source, but trust me, he knows.
And he tells me the keynote that Jobs gave was not the keynote he had planned. Some of the speech had been cut out. Key products were missing.
My source said there was some stuff, “some very, very cool stuff,” that Jobs couldn’t unveil because of “supply issues.”
“They can’t get enough Core Duo (chips),” said my source.
He also said that if he were me, he probably wouldn’t order one of the new MacBook Pros.
I asked if there would be MacBook replacements for the 17-inch and 12-inch PowerBooks, but he said, “Oh, it’s much cooler than that. Much cooler.”
Photo credit: Engadget.
Posted by in Apple | Comment on this article
I knew there was something wrong with Steve!
Shahid, on January 11th, 2006 at 6:26 pm
Who’s thinking of tablet notebooks? I’m hoping that if anyone does them, apple will get them right.
Ellie, on January 11th, 2006 at 7:14 pm
Wow, this is exciting. The pacing did seem off, but I guess it’ll turn out alright in the end. Thanks for the inside scoop!
Logan, on January 11th, 2006 at 7:36 pm
Sooo… this mysterious product was pulled because they couldn’t get enough CPUs… so there’s no guarantee that this product will be announced anytime soon. It’s the Core Duo, which Apple has used in a desktop and a laptop, so we couldn’t say whether it’s the Media Mac mini that was widely rumoured or the Intel iBook (MacBook?). By admission it’s not a 12 or 17in version of the MacBook…
It’s all pretty vague — all we know is that it’ll be cool and it’d use a Core Duo. That’s pretty obvious stuff, when in recent times has Apple not produced a cool product? Not the sort of info I’d use to make purchasing decisions though.
Maybe it’s a total revision of the MacBook? All new design (in black?), and all new range. Maybe it’s not a widescreen iBook at all, but an all widescreen MacBook Pro range (13in, 15in, 17in). Erch, who knows, but I’m looking forward to getting my MacBook Pro in february…
JohnK, on January 11th, 2006 at 9:45 pm
Fingers crossed that what was missing was the new Intel Mac mini with PVR. I was ready to drop some cash on a new mini on Tuesday. I was sorta disappointed at the keynote, it did seem kinda forced with demos and such.
At least this makes the next couple of months exciting. I think April 1, 2006 will be a big day for the Mac faithful, the 30th anniversary of the company. We’ll see…
applekoolaid, on January 12th, 2006 at 4:25 am
Awesome if it’s true. The new MacBook Pros sound great but $2K is too rich for me. Something portable closer to $1000 or $1200 would be sweet indeed. I shall wait.
Nik, on January 12th, 2006 at 9:05 am
So if he tells people not to get a MacBookPro – it has to be something comparable, right? or just a MacBook 14 inch widescreen with almost the same features?
Dan, on January 12th, 2006 at 9:10 am
He kept looking down at what must be prompt screens for ques? and up at the main screen at times and reading the screen. He really seemed scripted. Not like Steve at all.
Arrgh! don’t buy? Unless of course this is exactly what you have been waiting for? Arrgh, sometimes I really hate rumors.
strack, on January 12th, 2006 at 9:12 am
It would be nice to see dual Core Duo chips in a laptop. Apple is really good at new and exciting things; along with being pioneers and that would be a major breakthrough. I could be wrong, but has anyone made a 2 x dual core chip laptop yet? The power of 4 chips in a laptop…hold on while I wipe the slobber off my keyboard.
JJ, on January 12th, 2006 at 9:26 am
I’ve got my fingers crossed for a special Apple press event on its 30th birthday.
April 1, 2006… save that date!
Jack Cheng, on January 12th, 2006 at 11:24 am
I would bet on a CoreDuo iBook soon…
Dan, on January 12th, 2006 at 11:18 pm
Heh, I noticed the same thing.. Steve wasn’t Steve.. But I thought he was a bit ill or something.. coughing, not very sharp, and reading a lot from papers…
Marco F., on January 13th, 2006 at 12:02 am
I agree with Jack. Did anyone notice how casual Steve was with the 30th anniversary? Granted, the Mac’s 20th passed with nothing but a tiny “pardon my gas” from Apple… But he said something cryptic like, “maybe we’ll do something for that”
Victor Agreda, Jr., on January 13th, 2006 at 10:13 am
Maybe we’ll see new MacBook Pros and “Media Centre” Mac in April. On Aprils fools day, when Apple will be 30 years.
Daniel, on January 16th, 2006 at 3:59 am
I don’t think that Apple will ever go to a tablet style notebook. There are not enough users looking for that technology for them to go that direction. I can’t wait to see what they do for the iBook replacements… Anyone have an inside scoop on the time frame that they are releasing stuff on?
Justin North, on January 17th, 2006 at 4:32 am
There weren’t any users for that little iPod thing either before Apple came by…
Jeff Clark, on January 18th, 2006 at 9:59 pm
Let us not forget who’s fingers are in this Macpie. For it was Ma$ter Gate$ who stopped Jobshimdamnself from closing the pearlies on the MacWorld with a little DoughRaMe…
Big Daddy Shark, on January 24th, 2006 at 4:57 am
This thread is probably dead, but I will say that if there was ever any truth to this rumor, Leander probably lost a friend over it. Hopefully his friend didn’t lose his job over it.
Guy Inbar, on March 1st, 2006 at 2:06 am